Thursday, 27 November 2014

The comedy
connects more often than not in this set of chapters. Tawara Cat is one of the more
bizarre series I’ve read in execution at least. Visually the series is
appeasing with really nice full colour artwork. The colours are subdued enough
that it is not eye popping yet not dull either. What little plot there was in
earlier chapters seems to have evaporated though. In conclusion I would say the
comedy and artwork make these chapters worth at least a glance through. The
series may not be to everyone’s taste but it is a pleasant quirky read
regardless.

With each span
of chapters the series improves upon its already excellent base. It excels in
every aspect. One thing I had not noticed before was just how varied the
character designs look. Each character in the cast is distinct in both visual
and personality ways. Koyama’s artwork is
really gorgeous and detailed and seems to keep improving still. The only issue
I have at this point is the pacing which drags a touch which may be off-putting
to some. That being said this is a rather trivial problem and Koyama makes the
pacing work to the comic’s advantage.

What really
shines in these chapters is the character development and growth of both the
main and ever expanding supporting cast. This is something the series as a
whole is great at but I have only really come to appreciate the full breadth of
it recently. Is the fight to save the ISS. It really drives home the message
about the power of true friendship and is anchored by the lingering subplot
about Sharon’s deteriorating health. It brings out a wide range of emotions in
the reader. In conclusion I would say Space Brothers is a pleasure to read and
is well worth the time investment.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

From the publisher:
“Blood rains from the skies. A hypnotic voice trills over the airwaves as
bodies shift and grow in horrifying new directions. Are you ready for the new
world? RAY FAWKES, acclaimed creator of One Soul and writer of Constantine and
Batman: Eternal, launches a terrifying monthly odyssey of madness and warped
flesh in this lush, fully painted debut issue!”

If one derives
enjoyment from Intersect it would most likely visually rather than plot. Visual
wise it is like nothing I have ever seen before. The comic’s layout makes it a
confusing read. Matters are not helped with the fact that the story begins
midway into what appears to be the plot. The audience is thus forced to weave
their way between the poor panel planning and piecing together the narrative.
That said the artwork is gorgeous it is clear a lot of effort was put into the
painted artwork. In conclusion I would say purchase this issue for its artwork
as it is really something special. There really is little point in attempting
gain an understanding of the plot though.

Monday, 24 November 2014

From the publisher: “Yuuki's got a
crush he's just dying to confess his love to. There's just one problem, he
can't do it! Every time he tries, he freezes up! But his life really takes a
turn when he bumps into, or gets clobbered by, a robotic girl with a most
impressive set of "features." Her name is Ai Roborovskii and she's
the world's first Erotic Robot!”

This might be the most putrid thing I’ve ever
read. None of the jokes connected and the whole affair was so shameless I
honestly had to force myself to keep reading on to the next page. I could go on
all day about the sexism. While another recently started title in the magazine
this runs in was at least campy enjoyment (which is admittedly a guilty
pleasure for me) this series is not even that. With each failing gag that
passed had me feeling more and more uncomfortable. In conclusion I would say skip
this series there is next to nothing to recommend here.

Sunday, 23 November 2014

From the
publisher: “A few thousand years has passed since an alchemist created Winter.
He is now living with Jane learning what it means to be alive as a human.”

In this
premiere chapter the artwork when visible is truly stunning however, perhaps
because of the grim nature of the story, little artwork is shown. Yet Winter
Woods truly is captivating. The actual plot proper for the series isn’t giving
much away in the prologue. The series seems to being paying homage to
Frankenstein or at the very least derives from it. In conclusion if you enjoy
horror I would say read this chapter. It is a quick and engrossing read though
it should be noted it is rather dark so keep that in mind.

Any concerns I had about the series dipping in
excitement after its first chapter were washed away in this group of chapters. The
premise is far more compelling than I initially thought and the series is
filled with twists and turns. The character designs still fell off. That being
said the background art is gorgeous though perhaps not quite on par with creators
such as Kazue Kato. The series seems to be playing with the question on the
morality of money and the wealthy though it is only brought up in imagery from
time to time. In conclusion if you are like me and enjoy series that take a
potentially dull subject matter such as the stock market but manage to make it fascinating
I would say give these chapters a read.

Saturday, 22 November 2014

From the
publisher: “Mita Norifusa, whose "Dragon Zakura" started a revolution
in Japan's world of entrance exams, now brings you another school-drama manga
about stock investments! Zaizen Takashi passes his entrance exams at the top of
the heap, and starts his first year in junior high school at Dojuku Gakuen, a
130-year old super-advanced institute of higher education. The day after the
entrance ceremony, "the secret" of the school is revealed to him,
which concerns the existence of an”

What begins as
a rather tensionless awkwardly drawn premiere chapter gradually escalates into a
much more compelling plot about investing. I am curious to see where the manga
goes from here. The artwork is not without issue: characters frequently go off
model. That being said the potential for the plot not to mention the excellent writing
make at the very least sampling the series a must!

With these
chapters the conflict begins to deescalate momentarily only to rise even
further by the last chapter of the group. Murata’s artwork is gorgeous as per
usual. The only problem I had was the lull between arcs which diffused some of
the tension. The plot is also gradual as the series is more art based. It was
nice seeing development of a side character however. Really there are far more
positive than negative aspects to the series. It was also cool to see an old
face from the earlier chapters return as well. In conclusion I would say read
these chapters; the art and plot make it well worth the read!

Friday, 21 November 2014

For fans of
battle manga Hi-Fi Cluster is comfort food. These chapters continue that trend.
Complete with ridiculous (in a good way) antagonists and slick action scenes.
The series seems to be unfortunately barreling towards the final battles as what
appears to be the big bad is introduced this chapter. Peta proves to be of
little use at this point (if he ever was). The supporting cast continues to be
the primary reason to continue reading this series. A colorful group which
seems largely ignored outside of our other lead in this battle. In conclusion I
would say read these chapters as they are the series at its most compelling.

Nisekoi
continues being a mosquito bite with this week’s chapter. Initially it was just
annoying but over time after scratching it so much it began to hurt. Yui’s and
Raku’s creepy relationship continues to develop with this week’s chapter. This
series leaves such little impact on me. It continues introducing characters and
adding padding. It’s sad when the source material is roughly 30% filler. This
week isn’t so bad but others much moreso. All this to delay the series’
conclusion which because of Yui could probably have been reached by now. This
is pretty much typical indulgent male romance fanasties barring the decreased
fan service. In conclusion I would say skip this week’s chapter of Nisekoi. It
concentrates on the series’ creepier facets and is the series at its most
indulgent.

This chapter
is essentially an epilogue to the battle introducing yet another character and
bookending the arc yet also introducing plot elements that should propel the
series forward in the future. It was nice seeing some more character
development and fleshing out the relationships of the core cast. This chapter
really is devoid of much tension though. I feel it is also worth noting that
though I read this series each week I find details slip from memory within a
day or two. In conclusion I would say read this chapter if only for the development
for the cast.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

These chapters
of Food Wars! are remarkably fan service free. They also contain a wealth of
information on food. For me they were a great read. As a lover of food it is
fun reading manga about it. The series has its issue: it can be a touch dull at
times with little to no action. That being said, the characters are bright and
colorful and the art is surprisingly slick.
Also of note in these chapters is the tension despite little actual
conflict actually ensuing on the page. The pacing has some issues though. The
series seems to be at a hault presently. A far cry from the first volume which
had a more rapid fire pace. In conclusion I would say read these chapters if
only for the information on food. The series itself is, like the best of food,
highly addictive.

From the
publisher: “If you had any doubts about a ping pong manga, you can table your
doubts because this one's got a hilarious spin. It'll have you bouncing from
laughter one minute then slam you with intense competition the next. Get ready
to be served some hilarious manga and have a ball! Just had to get all those
ping pong puns out of the way...now onto the actual manga description. Ririka
Otsuka's the hottest chick in school, but she has a secret—she lives at a table
tennis center! And her grandpa's nuts about the sport, but she could care less!
Enter Ageha Hanazono, a table tennis genius who shows zero interest in sexy
Ririka, much to her chagrin. These two couldn't be more different, but their
paths are linked as they both find out the hard way!”

Despite, or
perhaps due to, the subject matter the first chapter of Takujo no Ageha is a
delightful read! That’s not to say it is perfect; it has its issues. Namely the
poor characterization of the female lead as boy obsessed. This is not even
beginning to cover the fan service which is mercifully kept to a handful of
pages. That being said, the action scenes are slick and the series has enough
of a plot to maintain itself for quite some time. The art is also a positive.
This series looks really nice thus far. It is clear a lot of effort was put
into this debut chapter. So in all I would say read Takujo no Ageha even if you
have an aversion to fan service this series has plenty to offer!

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

For Peace’s
first chapter excels in every aspect and proves itself to be a fantastic LGBT
comic along with Cooke’s previous work Dinner Ditz. The artwork differentiates
itself from the majority of other comics while still being accessible. The
character designs are far more human than any work I have seen to date. As with
Dinner Ditz, the first chapter of For Peace is rather rose-tinted; a welcome
change as the majority of LGBT media seems to go for a more gritty approach. Cooke
is quickly proving to be an author I will anticipate the future works of. Again
as with Dinner Ditz my only complaint is that the series is not full-length as
it is very refreshing in the current media landscape to see genuine warm
positivity.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Windrose’s art continues to be
its biggest selling point. It really is gorgeous visually. Narrative wise it is
nice to see some character development and world building. While this may be
the weakest of Sparkler Monthly’s comic offerings it is only in comparison to
their other series. I find I am far more invested in the series now than I was
at the beginning as we start to get into the grander plot. While I still feel
the protagonist is not a terribly strong character the morally ambiguous
supporting cast is really compelling. In conclusion I would say read this
chapter as it really highlight what makes the series great thus far.

Gatesmith is quickly growing into
one of my favorite series period. The level of imagination in it is high and I
found the characters are growing more and more on me. This chapter sees some
interesting plot developments. I really have no complaints about this chapter.
The series continues to be original in execution and tone. Quick’s artwork is
really slick as well. In conclusion I would say read this chapter as this
series continues to prove to be truly great!

Monday, 10 November 2014

From
the publisher: “Peregrine, a divorced dad, is a disaster in the kitchen. He’s a
threat to himself and all those around him, including his beloved daughter,
Lottie. So it’s up to Otho, a recent victim of Peregrine’s cooking chaos, to
step in and show him how it’s done, so he can wow Lottie instead of terrifying
her the next time she visits!”

Dinner
Ditz is an adorable LGBT comic. It left me wanting more even after the very
last page. It is refreshing seeing an LGBT comic about compelling family
dynamics. That’s not to say the romance is bad by any stretch. It is easily my
favorite part of the book! The series also has a different art style which is
refreshing in an industry where artwork tends to lean towards homogenous. In
conclusion, Dinner Ditz is a great if brief read. If you are looking for a
different kind of LGBT media this will not disappoint!

After
many MANY months the biggest battle in World Trigger to date draws to a close
and it ends on a resoundingly great note! It is nice to see the protagonist fleshed
out more in the final of this set of chapters. The battle had actual casualties
which is surprising for such an early point in a Jump series. World Trigger
continues to prove it is more interesting than it initially appeared and has
grown into a compelling narrative. I am super excited to see what future
chapters have in store!

Seraph of the End Chapter 27 Storyboard by Daisuke Furuya,
Story by Takaya Kagami, Art by Yamato Yamamoto Review

Seraph
suffers from dull characters thus far. This has become increasingly apparent
over time. The novelty has started to wear off and the series has started to
show its flaws. This is not helped by the inevitable plot being ground to a
hault. We must suffer through dull banter for much of the chapter before seeing
an exposition dump clumsily thrown in. Only in the final pages do we get to see
some action with a stock villain with clown make-up. This not even getting into
the offensive undertones with his character. In conclusion, I would say you
could probably skip to the end of this chapter unless you are truly fascinated
with this world.

Remarkably this chapter is even
more resonant than the previous one. Kato’s artwork is at its peak. The plot
continues to be touching and it is nice to see that the arc is drawing to a
close quite well. Blue Exorcist continues to be a delight each month being one
of my more anticipated series. It is worth noting though that the antagonist
suffers from a lack of characterization being more cartoony and hammy than even
I care for. So, in conclusion, I would say read this chapter! It features some
key character development and draws the arc to its climax quite nicely.

Nisekoi really flexes its harem
muscles in these chapters that is to say being as trite and cliché as ever
perhaps even moreso. In fact, the series is almost insufferable at times. The
one respite at this point is that there is a whole week between chapters giving
plenty of time to recuperate. And by that I mean it is constant pain! The comedy seems to have shriveled up for the most part. It really seems as if the
series is just on autopilot now. In conclusion if you have not enjoyed past
chapters of Nisekoi you will find little here to change your mind.

So in honour of a certain long running hugely successful
manga series ending I thought I would honour it by reviewing something completely
unrelated to it!

Hi-Fi Cluster Chapters 4-8 Story & Art by Ippei Goto
review

These chapters of Hi-Fi Cluster see
the plot proper begin to develop as well as some rather dull by comparison but
still compelling chapters of character introductions. There is some clumsy
exposition dumps in these chapters. Something I’m not sure I mentioned in my
previous reviews. The protagonist continues to be the least compelling
character and I feel was likely just included in the series for the target
demographic to identify with. So all-in-all Hi-Fi Cluster is an interesting
read thus far and I cannot tell express how excited I am for future chapters.